Media Output Score, a New Indicator for Measuring Online Media Coverage

Abstract

Communications professionals have widely recognized the importance of media coverage measurement. Despite having been discredited in measuring media coverage, either by the scientific community or by industry main organizations, advertising value equivalency (AVE) continues, nevertheless, to be a metric used by many communication professionals to measure digital media coverage. We propose a new metric, the Media Output Score (MOS), to automatically measure the online media coverage of brands in real-time, combining brand objectives with target media, media visibility, media favorability, readership, and social amplification of news by individuals. Using the design science research methodology, this research includes a case study analyzing the media coverage of the three main Portuguese telecommunications brands during one year on ten digital media outlets. The use of MOS with the sample data proved to be a comprehensive and valid metric to measure the output performance of brands’ digital media coverage since it effectively combines all variables, providing a single metric that can be used to evaluate and compare the performance in this context. This article presents the development, the application, and the implications of the MOS, providing a new lens through which to view and assess media coverage.